ARTS 2316 - Painting I
Fall 2025 Syllabus, Section 102, CRN 16141
Instructor Information
Emily Rice
Visiting Instructional Assistant Professor of Art
Email: emily.rice@tamiu.edu
Office: Fine/Performing Arts Center 130-B
Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 4:20pm - 5:00pm or by Appointment
Office Hours will be conducted in FPA 223 or 224 unless otherwise indicated. Please communicate with the instructor in class, over email, or during office hours. Allow for a 24-hour response time Monday-Thursday.
Times and Location
Course Description
Additional Course Information
This studio course is an introduction to painting. It emphasizes practical skill building with the materials and methods of the discipline, and it will be taught with acrylic paint. Students will learn to stretch and prime canvas, manipulate paint, and mix color. In addition to studio work, the course contextualizes painting through an engagement with historical precedents and contemporary examples. Painting is a medium that traverses multiple histories, forms, and reasons for being. We will consider three well-known genres: still life, landscape, and figure painting, but we will also consider the limitations of these categories. The space of painting invokes a range of modes: political, personal, historical, dialectical, observational, fictional, formal, and so on. An introduction to these varied motivations for painting and their intersections should help the beginning painter recognize the potentials within the medium, and ultimately motivate the artist toward continued, self-directed work.
Decision-making and problem-solving skills are necessary for all human endeavors. The creative and performing arts allow these skills to develop through modes of expression that go beyond the purely analytical or logical. Applied arts courses encourage students to learn by doing through performances or creative activities in a variety of fields or disciplines. These courses help students to develop the capacity for creative action, giving them an opportunity to work in different modes and media. Students who complete these courses should be able to reflect on the creative process and experience.
VALUE PROPOSITION:
Learning to paint involves an intersection of the physical and the intellectual. It is at times demanding and vulnerable. The value of this course to you as a student includes both the necessary technical skill-building that will improve your ability to express yourself through the medium, as well as learning about the importance of observing, seeing, and image-making through paint and its continued relevance in our contemporary world. To be specific, this involves, among others, the following: resiliency, empathy, critical thinking, and communication.
“The pursuit of the haptic, then, opens up the possibility for both the reanimation and the (re?)embodiment of the senses. The engagement with all senses appears to lead to a kind of reciprocity as well-- a concern as much with listening and speaking, or with touching and breathing, seeing and touching…. With the hope, during the midst of world war, that the world could be rebuilt, Anni Albers intimated that working with materials, making art using your hands and your eyes, ultimately generates a kind of nimbleness--which I read as consummately physical, psychic, and intellectual--that is constitutive of the capacity to make empathetic and hence ethical choices.”
[from Helen Molesworth, Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College, 1933-1957]
Program Learning Outcomes
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Students will demonstrate the ability to create or perform an artistic work. The process of creation/performance will be the central focus of the course.
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Students will be able to describe and articulate, with appropriate vocabulary, the creative process specific to the medium or discipline in which they are working.
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Students will be able to assess and critique their own creative work/performance and the creative work/performance of others.
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Students will be able to clearly articulate the broader relationships of their own performance/artwork to other works, both contemporary and historical.
This course also engages with the following objectives for the BA in Studio Art:
- A Studio Art major (BA) will create a body of artwork for public exhibition.
-A Studio Art major (BA) will use a critical language for the visual arts.
-A Studio Art major (BA) will express [their] artistic ideas in visual, verbal, and written forms.
-A Studio Art major (BA) will present themselves professionally through assemblage of artist portfolio, statement, and resume.
Student Learning Outcomes
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Develop an understanding of the material qualities of paint: build a capacity to apply and manipulate the medium
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Build an understanding of value, color, space, and composition specific to painting - Engage in active questioning: exercise a willingness to take risks with regards to one’s methods of making a painting
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Gain an understanding of the relationship between form and content in painting - Develop an individual practice motivated by one’s ideas and material concerns
Important Dates
Visit the Academic Calendar (tamiu.edu) page to view the term's important dates.
Textbooks
Other Course Materials
The following is a conclusive list of materials you will need for the duration of this semester. It is necessary to bring the essential painting supplies to each class. In making these investments, you are building your artist toolkits and laying the groundwork for your creative futures.
_Painter's edge painting knife, 40, 44, or 11 T
_Gesso brush, 3 inches
_Masking tape/Painter’s Tape (I recommend two rolls)
_Sta-wet palette
_Pad of palette paper (You can also use wax paper for baking)
_1 2-pack practica stretched canvas 16 x 20 inches
_1 sketchbook any size
_2 sheets of 22 x 30 in. yupo paper (white) (I will provide this upon reimbursement)
_Stretcher bars for two 32 x 40 inch canvases (Order these immediately)
_Synthetic acrylic brushes student grade, size 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 (mix of round and filberts)
_Gesso, 1 qt
_Required colors and size:
_GOLDEN Cadmium Red Medium Hue 2 oz
_GOLDEN Quinacradone Magenta 2 oz
_GOLDEN Hansa Yellow Light 2 oz
_GOLDEN Indian Yellow Hue 2 oz
_GOLDEN Viridian Hue 2 oz
_GOLDEN Chromium Green Oxide 2 oz
_GOLDEN Pthalo Blue 2 oz
_GOLDEN Ultramarine Blue 2 oz
_GOLDEN Dioxazine Purple 2 oz
_GOLDEN Raw Umber 2 oz
_GOLDEN Burnt Sienna 2 oz
_GOLDEN Titanium White 5 oz
_GOLDEN Zinc White 2 oz
Required mediums:
_GOLDEN satin glazing liquid 8 oz
_GOLDEN matte medium 8 oz
Optional Colors:
_GOLDEN Transparent Red Iron Oxide 2 oz
_GOLDEN Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide 2 oz
_GOLDEN Yellow Ocre 2 oz
_GOLDEN Cerulean Blue 2 oz
You may purchase these materials through Michaels, Blick Art Materials, or Jerry’s Artarama by ordering them online. My preference is for Jerry’s and Blick because they carry all of these paint options. Michael’s offers a 25% discount and Blick Art Materials has several discounts as well. Jerry’s Artarama has a brick and mortar store in San Antonio that is fantastic.
Give yourselves time to make your purchases because many of these items will require shipping. Some of these materials can also be found at Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon, and Artist and Craftsman Supply.
Grading Criteria
Please do not let your concerns with grading outcomes this semester interfere with learning to paint, which often involves taking risks and making mistakes. This is an important part of the process. You will receive a midterm and a final grade in this course, and you will receive written and verbal feedback from me during class meetings. Critiques are a good marker of your progress in the course because they give you an opportunity to hear how your classmates and instructor are responding to the work you are producing.
Hard work alone will not guarantee an A. Your grade is also determined by a willingness to adapt, an ability to improve, a capacity to reflect, listen and contribute as well as maintaining rigor and urgency of making both during and outside of class time. As such, simply completing assignments on time and showing up to class will typically result in a “C”. The amount of work and thought put forth will improve your grade. Have fun, be inspired. If you’re enjoying an assignment, that joy will come across in your work. Critique grades will be determined as follows: Originality of Concept/Design 45%, Technical Craftsmanship 45%, Overall Presentation of Painting 5%, Critique Engagement 5%
Final Grade Distribution:
Participation (Mini-Critiques, Daily Classroom Engagement, Attendance, Writings, Mid-Semester Portfolio Review) 25%
Critiques of Studio Assignments 65%
Final Critique and End of Semester Portfolio Review 10%
Late work will not be accepted unless under extenuating circumstances as determined by the instructor.
A 90-100% Superior accomplishment
B 80-89% Above average performance
C 70-79% Average work
D 60-69% Below average performance
F 50-59% Failure to meet basic course requirements
A: Exemplary: consistently exceeds expectations
Outstanding: work demonstrates significant growth and progress. Student offers thoughtful participation in class, is an active critical thinker, meets all deadlines, shows a strong depth of inquiry, and is willing to take risks and explore challenging solutions.
B: Proficient: meets and sometimes exceeds expectations
Very good: work demonstrates moderate growth and progress. Student offers adequate participation in class, often displays critical thinking, meets most deadlines, shows an adequate depth of inquiry, and engages in some risk taking within the expectations of the course.
C: Overall average: work as expected at this level but is without demonstrable growth
Average: work demonstrates aptitude but not measurable growth or progress. Student infrequently participates in class, displays some critical thinking, does not frequently meet deadlines, shows little depth of inquiry, and does not engage in frequent experimentation or risk taking within the expectations of the course.
D: Overall below average: work rarely meets expectations or demonstrates growth
Below average: work demonstrates little aptitude, growth, or progress. Student usually does not participate in class, rarely meets deadlines, does not engage in a necessary depth of inquiry or experimentation within the expectations of the course.
F: Failure: work does not meet minimum expectations
Poor: work does not meet minimum expectations for one or more of the following factors: work, progress, inquiry, critical thinking, participation, or attendance.
PARTICIPATION
It is necessary for students to be present and active during class meetings. Repeatedly coming to class unprepared, missing a scheduled critique, missing reading discussions, not completing a reading, or not participating in class activities will result in a grade deduction. Please be in touch with me if you are unprepared for class or unable to attend due to an unforeseen major personal circumstance.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
The nature of the studio course necessitates hands-on experience, development through practice and critique, and interaction with the instructor and one’s peers. Attendance is required, and students are expected to be in class on time and for the entire duration of the class period. More than three absences will result in 10% final grade drop. Save these for emergencies and illness. More than six absences will result in a failing grade for the course. Three accounts of arriving late or leaving early is equivalent to one absence. Unless in extenuating circumstances, there is no make up work.
STUDIO ETIQUETTE
Please do not engage with social media, sleep, or study for other classes during our class meetings. Headphones are welcomed for individual studio work outside of class; however, they hinder the interactive environment of this course and will not be used during class meetings. Be respectful of the shared space and follow the classroom policies and material safety guidelines.
COURSE FEEDBACK
Students will have the opportunity to evaluate the course through the university course evaluations at the end of the semester. The instructor will also send out additional evaluations at mid-semester and the semester’s end.
INSTRUCTOR'S AI POLICY
Students are not permitted to use AI in this course unless granted explicit permission by the instructor. The use of AI poses serious ethical, environmental, and educational points of concern which we will discuss. Use of AI on any project will be considered an act of academic dishonesty.
Assignments
*Assignments and Lectures will be posted on Blackboard at the start of each unit. Subject to change.*
Schedule of Topics and Assignments
Week of | Agenda/Topic | Reading(s) | Due |
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8/26 | Introduction to Materials. Paint Mixing with GOLDEN acrylic paints. Painting and Color Theory Presentation |
*All readings will be posted on Blackboard and distributed in class at the start of each assignment | TBD |
9/2 | Discuss paint mixing exercise Begin Monochromatic Plein Air Painting Slide presentation Explain Night Paintings Assignment |
At-Home Painting Assignment (Night Paintings) | |
9/9 | CRITIQUE Night Paintings Monochromatic Painting ctd. Introduce Book Painting (Perspective) |
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9/16 | CRITIQUE Monochromatic Paintings Review Objectives |
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9/23 | CRITIQUE Book Paintings Matter Studies Collection and Discussion |
Make 6-10 Matter Studies | |
9/30 | Mid-Semester Portfolio Reviews Matter Studies Painting |
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10/7 | CRITIQUE Matter Studies Plein Air on 16" x 20" Demo Canvas Stretching Painting Outside |
Stretch and gesso canvases Complete landscape painting |
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10/14 | Paint Outside Figure Painting References |
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10/21 | Begin working on larger outdoor/figurative | ||
10/28 | Cont. working on larger outdoor/figurative | ||
11/4 | Cont. working on larger outdoor/figurative | ||
11/11 | CRITIQUE | ||
11/18 | *Course Evaluations Begin Final Paintings |
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11/25 | Cont. Final Paintings | ||
12/2 | Cont. Final Paintings | ||
12/9 | Final Critique + Portfolio Review |
University/College Policies
Please see the University Policies below.
COVID-19 Related Policies
If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please refer to the Student Handbook, Appendix A (Attendance Rule) for instructions.
Required Class Attendance
Students are expected to attend every class in person (or virtually, if the class is online) and to complete all assignments. If you cannot attend class, it is your responsibility to communicate absences with your professors. The faculty member will decide if your excuse is valid and thus may provide lecture materials of the class. According to University policy, acceptable reasons for an absence, which cannot affect a student’s grade, include:
- Participation in an authorized University activity.
- Death or major illness in a student’s immediate family.
- Illness of a dependent family member.
- Participation in legal proceedings or administrative procedures that require a student’s presence.
- Religious holy day.
- Illness that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend class.
- Required participation in military duties.
- Mandatory admission interviews for professional or graduate school which cannot be rescheduled.
Students are responsible for providing satisfactory evidence to faculty members within seven calendar days of their absence and return to class. They must substantiate the reason for the absence. If the absence is excused, faculty members must either provide students with the opportunity to make up the exam or other work missed, or provide a satisfactory alternative to complete the exam or other work missed within 30 calendar days from the date of absence. Students who miss class due to a University-sponsored activity are responsible for identifying their absences to their instructors with as much advance notice as possible.
Classroom Behavior (applies to online or Face-to-Face Classes)
TAMIU encourages classroom discussion and academic debate as an essential intellectual activity. It is essential that students learn to express and defend their beliefs, but it is also essential that they learn to listen and respond respectfully to others whose beliefs they may not share. The University will always tolerate different, unorthodox, and unpopular points of view, but it will not tolerate condescending or insulting remarks. When students verbally abuse or ridicule and intimidate others whose views they do not agree with, they subvert the free exchange of ideas that should characterize a university classroom. If their actions are deemed by the professor to be disruptive, they will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action (please refer to Student Handbook Article 4).
TAMIU Honor Code: Plagiarism and Cheating
As a TAMIU student, you are bound by the TAMIU Honor Code to conduct yourself ethically in all your activities as a TAMIU student and to report violations of the Honor Code. Please read carefully the Student Handbook Article 7 and Article 10 available at https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml.
We are committed to strict enforcement of the Honor Code. Violations of the Honor Code tend to involve claiming work that is not one’s own, most commonly plagiarism in written assignments and any form of cheating on exams and other types of assignments.
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as your own. It occurs when you:
- Borrow someone else’s facts, ideas, or opinions and put them entirely in your own words. You must acknowledge that these thoughts are not your own by immediately citing the source in your paper. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
- Borrow someone else’s words (short phrases, clauses, or sentences), you must enclose the copied words in quotation marks as well as citing the source. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
- Present someone else’s paper or exam (stolen, borrowed, or bought) as your own. You have committed a clearly intentional form of intellectual theft and have put your academic future in jeopardy. This is the worst form of plagiarism.
Here is another explanation from the 2020, seventh edition of the Manual of The American Psychological Association (APA):
“Plagiarism is the act of presenting the words, idea, or images of another as your own; it denies authors or creators of content the credit they are due. Whether deliberate or unintentional, plagiarism violates ethical standards in scholarship” (p. 254). This same principle applies to the illicit use of AI.
Plagiarism: Researchers do not claim the words and ideas of another as their own; they give credit where credit is due. Quotations marks should be used to indicate the exact words of another. Each time you paraphrase another author (i.e., summarize a passage or rearrange the order of a sentence and change some of the words), you need to credit the source in the text. The key element of this principle is that authors do not present the work of another as if it were their own words. This can extend to ideas as well as written words. If authors model a study after one done by someone else, the originating author should be given credit. If the rationale for a study was suggested in the discussion section of someone else's article, the person should be given credit. Given the free exchange of ideas, which is very important for the health of intellectual discourse, authors may not know where an idea for a study originated. If authors do know, however, they should acknowledge the source; this includes personal communications (p. 11). For guidance on proper documentation, consult the Academic Success Center or a recommended guide to documentation and research such as the Manual of the APA or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. If you still have doubts concerning proper documentation, seek advice from your instructor prior to submitting a final draft.
TAMIU has penalties for plagiarism and cheating.
- Penalties for Plagiarism: Should a faculty member discover that a student has committed plagiarism, the student should receive a grade of 'F' in that course and the matter will be referred to the Honor Council for possible disciplinary action. The faculty member, however, may elect to give freshmen and sophomore students a “zero” for the assignment and to allow them to revise the assignment up to a grade of “F” (50%) if they believe that the student plagiarized out of ignorance or carelessness and not out of an attempt to deceive in order to earn an unmerited grade; the instructor must still report the offense to the Honor Council. This option should not be available to juniors, seniors, or graduate students, who cannot reasonably claim ignorance of documentation rules as an excuse. For repeat offenders in undergraduate courses or for an offender in any graduate course, the penalty for plagiarism is likely to include suspension or expulsion from the university.
- Caution: Be very careful what you upload to Turnitin or send to your professor for evaluation. Whatever you upload for evaluation will be considered your final, approved draft. If it is plagiarized, you will be held responsible. The excuse that “it was only a draft” will not be accepted.
- Caution: Also, do not share your electronic files with others. If you do, you are responsible for the possible consequences. If another student takes your file of a paper and changes the name to his or her name and submits it and you also submit the paper, we will hold both of you responsible for plagiarism. It is impossible for us to know with certainty who wrote the paper and who stole it. And, of course, we cannot know if there was collusion between you and the other student in the matter.
- Penalties for Cheating: Should a faculty member discover a student cheating on an exam or quiz or other class project, the student should receive a “zero” for the assignment and not be allowed to make the assignment up. The incident should be reported to the chair of the department and to the Honor Council. If the cheating is extensive, however, or if the assignment constitutes a major grade for the course (e.g., a final exam), or if the student has cheated in the past, the student should receive an “F” in the course, and the matter should be referred to the Honor Council. Additional penalties, including suspension or expulsion from the university may be imposed. Under no circumstances should a student who deserves an “F” in the course be allowed to withdraw from the course with a “W.”
- Caution: Chat groups that start off as “study groups” can easily devolve into “cheating groups.” Be very careful not to join or remain any chat group if it begins to discuss specific information about exams or assignments that are meant to require individual work. If you are a member of such a group and it begins to cheat, you will be held responsible along with all the other members of the group. The TAMIU Honor Code requires that you report any such instances of cheating.
- Student Right of Appeal: Faculty will notify students immediately via the student’s TAMIU e- mail account that they have submitted plagiarized work. Students have the right to appeal a faculty member’s charge of academic dishonesty by notifying the TAMIU Honor Council of their intent to appeal as long as the notification of appeal comes within 10 business days of the faculty member’s e-mail message to the student and/or the Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement. The Student Handbook provides more details.
Use of Work in Two or More Courses
You may not submit work completed in one course for a grade in a second course unless you receive explicit permission to do so by the instructor of the second course. In general, you should get credit for a work product only once.
AI Policies
Your instructor will provide you with their personal policy on the use of AI in the classroom setting and associated coursework.
TAMIU E-Mail and SafeZone
Personal Announcements sent to students through TAMIU E-mail (tamiu.edu or dusty email) are the official means of communicating course and university business with students and faculty –not the U.S. Mail and no other e-mail addresses. Students and faculty must check their TAMIU e-mail accounts regularly, if not daily. Not having seen an important TAMIU e-mail or message from a faculty member, chair, or dean is not accepted as an excuse for failure to take important action.
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to download the SafeZone app, which is a free mobile app for all University faculty, staff, and students. SafeZone allows you to: report safety concerns (24/7), get connected with mental health professionals, activate location sharing with authorities, and anonymously report incidents. Go to https://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/police/safezone/index.shtml for more information.
Copyright Restrictions
The Copyright Act of 1976 grants to copyright owners the exclusive right to reproduce their works and distribute copies of their work. Works that receive copyright protection include published works such as a textbook. Copying a textbook without permission from the owner of the copyright may constitute copyright infringement. Civil and criminal penalties may be assessed for copyright infringement. Civil penalties include damages up to $100,000; criminal penalties include a fine up to $250,000 and imprisonment. Copyright laws do not allow students and professors to make photocopies of copyrighted materials, but you may copy a limited portion of a work, such as article from a journal or a chapter from a book for your own personal academic use or, in the case of a professor, for personal, limited classroom use. In general, the extent of your copying should not suggest that the purpose or the effect of your copying is to avoid paying for the materials. And, of course, you may not sell these copies for a profit. Thus, students who copy textbooks to avoid buying them or professors who provide photocopies of textbooks to enable students to save money are violating the law.
Students with Disabilities
Texas A&M International University seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified persons with disabilities. This University will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal education opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to register with the Office of Student Counseling and Disability Services located in Student Center 126. This office will contact the faculty member to recommend specific, reasonable accommodations. Faculty are prohibited from making accommodations based solely on communications from students. They may make accommodations only when provided documentation by the Student Counseling and Disability Services office.
Student Attendance and Leave of Absence (LOA) Policy
As part of our efforts to assist and encourage all students towards graduation, TAMIU provides
LOA’s for students, including pregnant/parenting students, in accordance with the Attendance Rule (Section 3.07) and the Student LOA Rule (Section 3.08), which includes the “Leave of Absence Request” form. Both rules can be found in the TAMIU Student Handbook (URL: http://www.tamiu.edu/studentaffairs/StudentHandbook1.shtml).
Pregnant and Parenting Students
Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, harassment based on sex, including harassment because of pregnancy or related conditions, is prohibited. A pregnant/parenting student must be granted an absence for as long as the student’s physician deems the absence medically necessary. It is a violation of Title IX to ask for documentation relative to the pregnant/parenting student’s status beyond what would be required for other medical conditions. If a student would like to file a complaint for discrimination due to his or her pregnant/parenting status, please contact the TAMIU Title IX Coordinator (Lorissa M. Cortez, 5201 University Boulevard, KLM 159B, Laredo, TX 78041,TitleIX@tamiu.edu, 956.326.2857) and/or the Office of Civil Rights (Dallas Office, U.S. Department of Education, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620, Dallas, TX 75201-6810, 214.661.9600). You can also report it on TAMIU’s anonymous electronic reporting site: https://www.tamiu.edu/reportit.
TAMIU advises a pregnant/parenting student to notify their professor once the student is aware that accommodations for such will be necessary. It is recommended that the student and professor develop a reasonable plan for the student’s completion of missed coursework or assignments. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (Lorissa M. Cortez, lorissam.cortez@tamiu.edu) can assist the student and professor in working out the reasonable accommodations. For other questions or concerns regarding Title IX compliance related to pregnant/parenting students at the University, contact the Title IX Coordinator. In the event that a student will need a leave of absence for a substantial period of time, TAMIU urges the student to consider a Leave of Absence (LOA) as outlined in the TAMIU Student Handbook. As part of our efforts to assist and encourage all students towards graduation, TAMIU provides LOA’s for students, including pregnant/parenting students, in accordance with the Attendance Rule and the Student LOA Rule. Both rules can be found in the TAMIU Student Handbook (https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml).
Anti-Discrimination/Title IX
TAMIU does not discriminate or permit harassment against any individual on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, educational programs, or employment. If you would like to file a complaint relative to Title IX or any civil rights violation, please contact the TAMIU Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity/Title IX Coordinator, Lorissa M. Cortez, 5201 University Boulevard, Killam Library 159B, Laredo, TX 78041,TitleIX@tamiu.edu, 956.326.2857, via the anonymous electronic reporting website, ReportIt, at https://www.tamiu.edu/reportit, and/or the Office of Civil Rights (Dallas Office), U.S. Department of Education, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620, Dallas, TX 75201-6810, 214.661.9600.
Incompletes
Students who are unable to complete a course should withdraw from the course before the final date for withdrawal and receive a “W.” To qualify for an “incomplete” and thus have the opportunity to complete the course at a later date, a student must meet the following criteria:
- The student must have completed 90% of the course work assigned before the final date for withdrawing from a course with a “W”, and the student must be passing the course;
- The student cannot complete the course because an accident, an illness, or a traumatic personal or family event occurred after the final date for withdrawal from a course;
- The student must sign an “Incomplete Grade Contract” and secure signatures of approval from the professor and the college dean.
- The student must agree to complete the missing course work before the end of the next long semester; failure to meet this deadline will cause the “I” to automatically be converted to an “F”; extensions to this deadline may be granted by the dean of the college. This is the general policy regarding the circumstances under which an “incomplete” may be granted, but under exceptional circumstances, a student may receive an incomplete who does not meet all of the criteria above if the faculty member, department chair, and dean recommend it.
WIN Contracts
The Department of Biology and Chemistry does not permit WIN contracts. For other departments within the college, WIN Contracts are offered only under exceptional circumstances and are limited to graduating seniors. Only courses offered by full-time TAMIU faculty or TAMIU instructors are eligible to be contracted for the WIN requirement. However, a WIN contract for a course taught by an adjunct may be approved, with special permission from the department chair and dean. Students must seek approval before beginning any work for the WIN Contract. No student will contract more than one course per semester. Summer WIN Contracts must continue through both summer sessions.
Student Responsibility for Dropping a Course
It is the responsibility of the student to drop the course before the final date for withdrawal from a course. Faculty members, in fact, may not drop a student from a course without getting the approval of their department chair and dean.
Independent Study Course
Independent Study (IS) courses are offered only under exceptional circumstances. Required courses intended to build academic skills may not be taken as IS (e.g., clinical supervision and internships). No student will take more than one IS course per semester. Moreover, IS courses are limited to seniors and graduate students. Summer IS course must continue through both summer sessions.
Grade Changes & Appeals
Faculty are authorized to change final grades only when they have committed a computational error or an error in recording a grade, and they must receive the approval of their department chairs and the dean to change the grade. As part of that approval, they must attach a detailed explanation of the reason for the mistake. Only in rare cases would another reason be entertained as legitimate for a grade change. A student who is unhappy with his or her grade on an assignment must discuss the situation with the faculty member teaching the course. If students believe that they have been graded unfairly, they have the right to appeal the grade using a grade appeal process in the Student Handbook and in the Faculty Handbook.
Final Examination
All courses in all colleges must include a comprehensive exam or performance and be given on the date and time specified by the Academic Calendar and the Final Exam schedule published by the Registrar’s Office. In the College of Arts & Sciences all final exams must contain a written component. The written component should comprise at least 20% of the final exam grade. Exceptions to this policy must receive the approval of the department chair and the dean at the beginning of the semester.
Mental Health and Well-Being
The university aims to provide students with essential knowledge and tools to understand and support mental health. As part of our commitment to your well-being, we offer access to Telus Health, a service available 24/7/365 via chat, phone, or webinar. Scan the QR code to download the app and explore the resources available to you for guidance and support whenever you need it. The Telus app is available to download directly from TELUS (tamiu.edu) or from the Apple App Store and Google Play.